You Can't Always Run
by Merc
Summary: He was trying to figure out what was going on when he noticed her form above his body. She still had that evil smile spread across her face and Sonic noticed the fiery red of her eyes. This was definitely not the Amy he was used to. A SonicxAmy story.
1. Chapter 1

AN: So, it's been a while since I've written any fanfics…and I've definitely NEVER written a Sonic fic before, so this should be slightly interesting. It's an idea I had while reading a bunch of different fics about Sonic and Amy and I just LOVE them as a couple so I figured, what the heck! Anyways. I'm hoping people will read and review. But most of all, I hope you all enjoy!!

Disclaimer: I don't own Sonic the hedge hog or its characters…they do, in fact, belong to Sega and such.

**You Can't Always Run**

Amy sat against a tree in the park enjoying a beautiful summer day. She was gently holding a flower to her nose enjoying the sweet smell. _If only Sonic would give me flowers. That would make me so happy!_ She sighed. Sonic the hedgehog was such a stubborn guy. He was rude and arrogant and frustrating to no end. But there was something about him and his quirky smile that just caused her heart to melt every time she thought about him or saw him. Being around him was an addiction that she needed to get fulfilled every second of every day. Which is exactly why she was in the park this afternoon. She smiled when she noticed the streak of blue coming in her direction. Quickly she stood and ran out into the middle of the path.

"Sonic!" She cried happily, holding up her hands. The blue hedgehog came to a sudden halt to avoid running into her at full speed.

"Whoa! Geez Amy! You know you gotta stop doing that! One of these days I might actually hit you!"

"Oh, Sonic!" She sighed dreamily, "I would love it if _you_ ran into me!" She ran over and embraced him in a tight hug.

"Amy!" Sonic struggled to pry her off of him. "Let go of me! I'm kinda busy right now."

She stepped back and huffed. "What could possibly be more important than seeing me?"

"Anything is more important than you!" The instant that those words escaped his lips he regretted it. He noticed her flinch as she backed away from him. He had obviously hurt her feelings even though he didn't mean to. But rather than apologize to her he only managed to make things worse. "Oh lighten up Amy. You take things too personally."

Amy's eyes began to fill with tears. "I…I…I hate you Sonic the Hedgehog!" She cried balling up her fists at her side and allowing some tears to trickle out from under her closed eyelids. "One day you're not going to have me around and you're going to regret treating me like dirt!" With that she ran past Sonic, her tears falling freely now, leaving him in a state of shock.

- - - - - - - -

"…and then she just ran past me. Why are girls so emotional?" Sonic stared blankly at his half-eaten chili dog. For some reason this whole business with Amy had completely killed his appetite.

"Did you go after her and apologize?" The two-tailed fox was Sonic's closest friend and one of the only people he could truly confide in.

"Why should I? I mean, if she took it personally that's her own deal." The stubborn side of him was coming out.

"Sonic, you hurt her feelings! You know how much she cares about you. And deny it all you want, I can tell that part of you really enjoys having her around. The truth is, with the way you treat her I'm surprised she still even WANTS to hang around you. You should count yourself lucky on that respect." Sonic cringed at Tail's harsh words but Tails continued on anyways. "She brings up a good point, though. With all of the action we see it may be possible that you won't have her around some day." At that point Tails became silent. One single tear slid down his cheek.

"This situation isn't like you and Cosmo, Tails." Sonic knew Tails was no longer thinking about his problems but rather the situation that sealed the fate of the Metarex and a girl Tails truly loved.

"All I'm saying, Sonic, is that someday you might not get that chance to tell her how you feel!"

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Let's not get ahead of ourselves here, buddy!"

Tails sighed. "Sonic, why are you so afraid to let people in?"

Sonic looked surprised and then his attitude quickly changed. "Let's get one thing straight. I'm not afraid of anything! Well, except for water."

"Then why do you run all the time Sonic? Especially from Amy?"

"'Cause, I think she's annoying!" Sonic knew that wasn't true. He didn't really think that Amy way annoying but he didn't want people catching on to the fact that he really did think she was the most amazing girl he'd ever known. The truth was, he never really could come up with a reason for why he always felt the need to run from her. "She's such a pain to deal with sometimes!"

"You know what I think? I think you can't handle anything that life throws at you. I think you can't handle any sort of emotion. You have no idea what it feels like to be in love or be sad or be completely crushed…" Tails looked down at the ground momentarily and then his head snapped back up with a look of anger. "Well, that's just fine Sonic. You just keep on running and keep yourself locked up in your own little world. But don't put down people who are choosing to live their lives to the fullest. Amy has been through so much and given you everything, the least you could do is show her a little bit of respect!"

Tails suddenly stopped and his eyes went wide. "Sonic, I-"

Sonic stood up before Tails could go on any further. "Don't worry about it, buddy. But I'm gonna go." Sonic left the room very quietly and Tails watched his friend's retreating back with a feeling of sadness and pity. "There you go again, Sonic. Running away from reality." He shook his head.

- - - - - - - -

Dr. Robotnik laughed hysterically at his next ingenious plan. "Finally, I'll have that rotten hedgehog where I want him!"

"But doctor, how will you know whether this will actually work?"

"We'll just have to test it out, now won't we?" His smiled grew as he held the syringe full of his latest idea. "In fact, why don't we go find our little blue friend right now and test it out?"

- - - - - - - -

Sonic kept running trying to forget what had happened between him and Amy earlier. But every time he tried to convince himself that there was no need to apologize he pictured her tear streaked face running off. He had to admit that that sight had caused his heart to ache like he'd never felt before. Why did Amy have this kind of affect on him? He stopped dead in his tracks as he realized just how awful he really had been to her.

Image after image of him ditching her, running away from her, pushing her away…they all flooded into his memory. Sonic took a deep breath. Tails was right. Amy deserved so much better than him. But the thought of another guy taking away her attention made him feel angry and jealous.

"I won't let that happen!" He shouted as if someone could hear him. "I've got to fix this." His direction quickly changed towards Amy's house.

When Sonic arrived he found the place completely empty. If it were earlier he would have just waited on her doorstep until she returned but it was dark and getting very late. A sense of worry suddenly overcame him and he dashed off to try and find his beautiful pink rose.

His instincts led him to her favorite spot next to the beach. Although he could not see anyone there he stopped to momentarily take in the beauty of the scenery around him. The sky was clear and the moon shone down and made that waves look like silver as they gently came up onto the shore. He closed his eyes so that he could listen to the sounds when something other than the waves drifted quietly into his ears. It sounded like someone was…crying?

He turned and noticed that someone was curled up against a rock a short distance from where he was standing. He knew instantly that it was Amy and his worry from earlier disappeared. She was safe…but she was also still hurt.

Sonic approached her slowly and as he stepped closer he heard her soft sobs stop and noticed her body tense up. Without even lifting her head from her arms she whispered to him, "Just go away Sonic."

"Amy, I came hear to say I was sorry for what I said earlier. I was being such a jerk! I didn't mean to hurt you this badly."

"Apology accepted. Now go away." She sniffed.

Sonic turned to go like she had asked when he realized that he needed to do better than this. He turned back around and somewhat sternly replied "No." He took a few steps closer to her. "I'm not leaving you like this. Please, I'll do anything to make you feel better! Just tell me how I can fix it!"

"I'm not like one of Tails' inventions, Sonic. It isn't that easy to mend a broken heart."

"At least let me try…" She finally looked up at him her face was stained with tears and her eyes continued to let more fall. Sonic stood there in shock. He had never seen Amy like this before. He didn't know what to say or do.

"If you really want to help me you'd let me be." His shoulders dropped in defeat.

"All right, Amy. If that's really what you want then…" But before he could finish the ground started to rumble. "What's going on?" He asked in confusion. "Amy, look out!!" He ran by the girl's side and quickly pulled her away from the rock she had been leaning against. They watched in awe as one of Dr. Robotnik's robots came crashing up from the ground below them.

Sonic instinctively pushed Amy behind him and stood ready for the moment he knew was coming. The sound of evil cackling could be heard and without any other notice Dr. Robotnik came down in his hovercraft. "Well, hello Sonic. Nice night to be on the beach, isn't it?" Eggman smirked.

"Well, it _was_ nice until _you_ showed up."

Eggman's smile grew wider. "I don't know Sonic, part of me thinks you're lying. What's wrong Amy? Having a rough night?" Eggman started to laugh again.

Amy was about to smash him to pieces with her hammer when Sonic stepped in. "Leave her alone Egg-head!"

Amy's jaw dropped slightly. Was Sonic really standing up for her? She shook her to rid herself of her thoughts. There would be time to dwell on that later. She couldn't allow herself to be distracted with Eggman around.

Dr. Robotnik only seemed to be that much more amused. "Well, well! It seems that the all mighty and independent Sonic has gotten a little crush. I must say, though, you could have done better."

Sonic suddenly got angry and launched himself at Eggman but before he could reach Eggman's craft he was bombarded by several missiles the robot had launched in his direction. Sonic came back down to the ground, ready to make an attack at the robot. "Don't worry, Sonic, we won't be staying for long. I just wanted to try out my latest experiment!"

Sonic turned away from the robot and faced Eggman. "Oh, yeah? And what would that be?" As if on queue, the robot opened up and revealed a smaller gun that came out and was aimed at a distracted Sonic. And before Sonic new what was happening the robot fired at him. He turned around at the sound of the gun being fired and Amy's desperate cries for him to watch out but by then it was too late to run. Sonic suddenly found himself being forced backwards and he tumbled in the sand a few times before he came to a painful stop. With a little effort he sat up and examined himself, relieved that he was still in one piece. However, the reason why he was still unharmed was lying face first in the sand, with something sticking out of her back.

"AMY!" Sonic cried as he raced over to her. He kneeled down next to her unconscious body and pulled the syringe that had launched itself into her back out. He then turned her over and gently tried to shake her awake. "Amy! Amy! Wake up!" Sonic's attempts became more frantic when she wouldn't stir.

His eyes flashed and he looked up at a very frustrated doctor. "What did you do to her??" Sonic demanded.

The doctor suddenly changed his frustration to a small smile. "Well, it missed its intended target, but I suppose this will do for now." He chuckled a little. "It was a first-time experiment, after all. I'll just have to watch how she reacts and improve on it. But next time _you_ won't be so lucky!"

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? WHAT DID YOU DO?" Sonic yelled. He gently set Amy down and stood up ready to force the information out of Eggman.

Dr. Robotnik smirked. "I think leaving you to experience it for yourself will be much more entertaining. Farewell, Sonic!" And with that Eggman and his robot took off towards the horizon.

"EGGMAN!!" Sonic called after him but it was no use. He turned his attention back to Amy, who had a look of pain written across her face. "Oh God, Amy! Why did you do this? After all I've put you through, why did you save me again?" He hugged her close to himself. All of a sudden he felt her stir in his arms.

"Sonic?" A weak whisper escaped her lips.

"Yeah Amy, I'm here."

"Sonic, are you…are you ok? Was I able to stop…"

"I'm ok, Amy, thanks to you." He felt little pricks of tears coming to his eyes.

"Thank goodness." She whispered. A weak smile of relief appeared on her face.

"Are you ok?"

She looked up at his eyes that were full of concern and smiled. "I feel weak and dizzy. My back hurts really bad, too."

"That's where the robot shot you with this." He reached over and grabbed the discarded syringe. "I don't know what this is but we better figure it out soon. Are you going to be ok if I pick you up and carry you?" She nodded in response. "All right, then, I'm gonna take you over to Tails' place. We'll see if he can figure out what's in this thing." He said as he stood up holding her in his arms and the syringe in one of his hands.

"Sonic, I'm so sleepy." Amy said as she fought to keep her eyes open.

"Why don't you get some rest, then, Amy. I'll get you to over to Tails' place safely." She didn't even need to respond. She just placed her head against Sonic's chest and allowed her mind to take over.

- - - - - - - -

"What do you make of it, Tails?"

"I'm not sure! I've never seen anything like this! But I'll keep working on it, Sonic."

Sonic sighed. "Do you think it'll take long?"

"Listen, Sonic, I know this is Amy's life we're talking about, but I'm not a doctor. You're going to have to try to be as patient as possible, ok?"

Sonic didn't argue. He just turned and started walking out of the room. "I'm gonna go check on Amy." He was walking over to the stairs when he heard Amy screaming at the top of her lungs. Both Sonic and Tails ran in a state of panic to Tails' bedroom. What they found was Amy tossing and turning violently as if she was struggling against some horrible thing in her nightmare. Sonic ran over to her and grabbed her hand.

"Amy!" He called out. "Amy!!" Her cries stopped but her face still held an expression of pain and fear. Slowly her eyes started to open and her vision finally focused on Sonic.

"Sonic." She smiled.

"That was some intense dream you were having, Ames. Are you ok?" The concern in Sonic's voice was evident.

"Yeah. It was weird, though. I was fighting this person, but it wasn't even a person really. It was more like a shadow of a person. At first I was winning but suddenly, after I thought I had delivered the final blow, the person was no longer a shadow. It was like someone had turned on the lights and the person I was fighting was myself." At this point she threw herself into Sonic's arms and started trembling. "And my other self was so different, Sonic. It was horrifying! I-she- was so much stronger!! She would pick me up and throw me. She slammed me into the ground. She kicked me and hit me. And after I was all broken and bruised her eyes flashed red." Amy was shaking uncontrollably now. "And she just smiled this evil smile at me as she lifted my hammer above her head and screamed at the top of her lungs 'this is the end of Amy Rose'!"

Amy started to sob into Sonic's chest. "Hey Amy," Sonic pulled her away to look at her with a reassuring smile "it's ok! I won't let anything happen to you! It was just a bad dream anyways. You're here with people who will take care of you now." She just nodded and dove right back into his arms. Sonic brushed his fingers through her quills to try and help calm her down but while doing so he gave a very serious and fearful look at Tails.

When Amy finally had calmed down enough Sonic pulled away. "I need to go have a talk with Tails for a little bit, ok Ames?"

She looked at him, a little unsure. "Will you come back?"

He winked at her and gave her a thumbs up. "Sure thing!" And with that Sonic and Tails left the room and went back downstairs.

"What a weird dream!" Tails commented after they were away from where Amy could hear.

"I don't know if that was just a dream, Tails. Something just doesn't seem right. And I'm thinking it has something to do with that serum."

Tails became very serious. "You think so, Sonic?"

"Well the sooner you find out about that stuff the sooner we can tell if they're linked." Tails nodded in agreement and went back to work trying to study what exactly Eggman had produced.

- - - - - - - -

Dr. Robotnik laughed hysterically as he thought about how his revised plans would be played out. "Let's extend our little pink friend a visit, shall we?"

Eggman's two henchmen robots both cried out "Yes sir!" and got straight to work on carrying out Eggman's orders.

- - - - - - - -

Amy sat on the edge of Tails' bed trying to figure out what was wrong with her. She felt so strange. She tensed as a wave of pain swept over her whole body. _What's happening to me?_ "Sonic," she tried calling him but her voice was barely audible. Amy suddenly reached her hands up and clasped her head as she felt her mind screaming at her. It was as if someone or something wanted to take control over her body and mind. "Please!" She tried calling. "Leave me alone!" But the pain was so strong and the idea of letting go seemed so irresistible that eventually Amy's mind slipped into unconsciousness. Inside her mind Amy felt like she was falling into a never ending sea of black nothingness and all she could do was scream as she fell.

For a moment Amy's body sat lifeless, but after a few more seconds her head lifted up and as her eyes flashed red and an evil smile crossed her face. She stood and opened the window near the bed and hopped out. Once she landed she took off running in the direction of Eggman's hideout. "I'm coming, master."

- - - - - - - -

"Amy! How good of you to come." Eggman began to chuckle.

"What is your will, master?" She kneeled down before him and this caused Eggman to smile.

"I want to test your loyalty to me. I want you to get rid of that pesky blue hedgehog, Sonic."

For a brief moment Amy's eye became normal and she whispered "Sonic…" but her mind was quickly taken back over by the force of Eggman's serum. "As you wish." She stood and walked back out the way she came.

- - - - - - - -

About an hour after he had left Amy, Sonic came knocking on the door. "Hey Ames, are you awake?" After he got no response he gently opened the door hopping he wouldn't disturb her if she was, in fact, asleep. When he saw the room empty and the window left open he panicked. "TAILS!"

Tails came running up a few seconds later. "Sonic what's wrong?"

"Amy is gone!"


	2. Chapter 2

AN: So, I managed to get my next chapter up pretty quickly. I was pretty excited when I got a few great reviews from before. It means a lot that people are actually enjoying my story. Hopefully you'll all like this next chapter, too. Sorry if things don't really fit or explanations don't really make sense…I'm definitely far from the world's greatest writer, but I try. Anyways, let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I don't own Sonic. End of story.

- - - - - -

"Amy!" Sonic called out to nothing. He was running out of areas to look. "Amy, where are you?" He stopped in the middle of the park trying to think of another place she could be. _It just doesn't make sense. Where would she have gone? _And all of a sudden it hit him. Why hadn't he thought of it before? Sonic's face filled with anger and he clenched his fist in frustration. "Eggman." Without any hesitation Sonic sped off towards the evil doctor's base in hopes of finding her.

As Sonic neared Eggman's base he noticed a small figure waiting against a tree. At first he couldn't tell who it was but as he got closer he distinctively noticed pink. "Amy!" His anger, fear, and frustration all melted away and he smiled in relief. But as he got closer he began to feel uneasy. He stopped several feet away, expecting her to run over and jump into his arms. He was disappointed, however, when she still stood quietly, eyes closed and her face emotionless, against the tree. "Hey Amy," Sonic took a step forward. "What happened to you? Tails and I were worried when we noticed you were gone! Where'd you go?"

She didn't respond.

Sonic started to get really concerned. "What's the matter? Are you all right?"

A smile quickly spread across her face causing Sonic to take a step back. This wasn't one of her usual smiles. It wasn't cheerful or happy. In fact, if he had to describe it he would have placed it as almost…evil. But Sonic shook his head. _No way! This is Amy we're talking about!_

"Amy, please," he begged, "tell me what's wrong?"

"I've been waiting for you, Sonic."

"What?"

"I've been waiting for you, and now you're finally mine." She still didn't move or even open her eyes.

"What are you talking about?" He reached out towards her to try and snap her out of whatever she was going through but was surprised when he felt her hand swing and hit his away. "Amy!"

"Sonic the hedgehog..." He barely heard her use the full title, something she only did when she was angry. "DIE!!" Her eyes flashed open and before Sonic knew what was happening her hammer had come in contact with his stomach, knocking the wind out of him and sending him flying

He laid on the ground, unable to move from the pain and shock of what had just happened. He was trying to figure out what was going on when he noticed her form above his body. She still had that evil smile spread across her face and Sonic noticed the fiery red of her eyes. This was definitely _not_ the Amy he was used to.

"Amy, why are you doing this?" He asked in panic and concern.

"I will destroy you, Sonic, in the name of my master!" She lifted the hammer above her head.

"Master?! What are you talking about?" Sonic quickly dodged out of the way of her next swing. He gasped when he noticed the ground where her hammer had fallen. It was almost like a small crater had formed from her blow. _Where did she get so much power?!_

Suddenly they were interrupted by Eggman's horrible laughter.

"That's right Sonic. Your precious little girlfriend works for _me_ now!" Sonic turned around to see Eggman in his hovercraft. He had a look of triumph all over his face.

"No way!! Amy would never work for you!" Sonic tried desperately to believe in Amy and he turned back to her hoping she would prove his thoughts right. Instead he noticed her jump and land directly next to Eggman. Sonic just looked on in horror.

"Amy...Why?" He pleaded.

She didn't respond.

Sonic turned his attention towards Eggman and became angry. "You! You did this!!"

Eggman smirked. "You finally realized, huh?"

"What did you do to her?!" He snapped.

Eggman became serious. "You are a powerful foe, Sonic. You always manage to foil my plans to take over and you're not easy to defeat. One day I realized, rather than put so much effort into trying to defeat you and then failing, I could create something that would get you to join forces with me! With your power and my brains we would be invincible! I spent hours and days trying to come up with a formula strong enough to keep you under my control. Finally, after all of my labor I created something- a serum- filled with microscopic chips that would be sent into your blood stream and make their way into your brain. That way, I could control your mind and body using my computers…sort of like a remote controlled Sonic. The liquid was also designed to surround your brain and destroy the identity of the old Sonic and replace it with a new one that could learn and evolve into something more powerful than you ever could have dreamed of!" He laughed a little and then became serious again. "Unfortunately, my plans were changed slightly and the little twerp got in the way. But that's ok. I'm thoroughly enjoying this outcome, too."

Sonic yelled in frustration. "How dare you, Eggman! This time you've gone too far and I'm not going to let you get away with this!"

"Care to take this up with me face to face?" Eggman challenged.

Sonic didn't need to be asked. He quickly launched himself in the direction of Eggman ready to throw a punch in his face but stopped himself quickly when Amy stepped in front of his way.

"Amy! What are you doing?!" He still didn't want to believe that she was one of them.

Eggman started laughing. "Don't you get it, boy? As we speak the Amy that you know is being destroyed! But don't worry, I think the new Amy will be a great improvement. Especially since she's willing to do anything I say!" Eggman turned to Amy. "Amy! Destroy Sonic now!!"

Sonic couldn't believe his eyes as he saw Amy step towards him, ready to fight him again. _What should I do? I can't fight Amy!_ But before he was able to come up with any ideas she sprinted towards him and swung at him. He jumped away to avoid the blow but she just continued to attack him. Swing after swing he dodged out of the way but it never fazed her. _How did she become so fast??_

"What's this I see?" Eggman called out. "Sonic the hedgehog is running away? Are you afraid to fight back? Well Sonic, you can't run forever!!"

Sonic ignored Eggman's comments. "Amy! Snap out of it! I'm not your enemy!! I'm your friend!!" He tried to argue to get her to come to her senses but she just continued her assault.

"I will destroy you!" She cried out and managed to make contact with Sonic's body again sending him through the air. She smiled triumphantly when Sonic landed hard and didn't move. She walked over and stood above him. "This is the end of Sonic the hedgehog!" She lifted her hammer above her head.

Sonic was hurting badly but he managed to look up at her as she prepared to give the final blow. "Amy please," he pleaded weakly. "This isn't you Amy!" He refused to take his eyes off of hers. "Please, come back to me!"

Amy struggled as she held the hammer above her. He could tell that she was debating whether to carry out the last swing. He noticed the color in her eyes fading between their normal color and the fiery red that they currently were. "AMY!!" He cried out to her one more time.

The fiery red in Amy's eyes flickered away and was replaced by the normal blue-green that they once were. She lowered her hammer and brought her hand to her forehead. "Sonic…" She whispered.

Sonic knew that voice. It was the sweet girl that he had always known. He lifted himself off the ground quickly and embraced her. All of the pain he felt throughout his body was disregarded. He pulled away to look her over. "Amy! Are you all right?"

"Sonic. What happened?" She looked up at him in confusion.

Eggman was getting frustrated. "What are you doing?! Amy, I command you to return to my base!"

Suddenly Amy fell to her knees in pain. "Amy, no!" Sonic kneeled down in front of her and embraced her.

"Sonic!" She whimpered. "What's happening to me??" She cried out in pain.

Sonic looked over at Eggman. "EGGMAN STOP!!" He yelled, but the doctor just smiled back at him.

"Sonic, something is inside my head! Make it go away!" Amy cried out. Sonic looked back into Amy's eyes and cupped her face between his hands.

"Amy," he said gently, "you don't have to listen to it! Don't let it take over, Amy!" Her eyes started to change again. "Amy, please! Stay with me! Fight it!!" Sonic begged.

"You have no choice! Get back NOW! That's an order!!" Eggman argued back.

Amy looked at Sonic with frightened eyes and it broke his heart.

"Sonic." She whispered and then the beautiful eyes that Sonic loved so much faded out and were replaced with the angry and evil fire from before. Without any warning she picked up the hedgehog and threw him into a tree, knocking him unconscious. In a manner of seconds both she and Dr. Robotnik were gone.

- - - - - - -

"Sonic…" Sonic tried to place whose voice it was but it was so far away. "Sonic…" He heard it again, it was closer this time. "Sonic!" The last voice was different and one he was very familiar with.

"Tails…" Sonic groaned as he opened his eyes.

"You're awake!" Tails cried out in happiness and relief. Sonic sat up and turned his gaze over towards Tails. All the motion caused his head to hurt and he cringed in pain.

"Man, Sonic. You had me really worried! When I found you, you were pretty banged up! What happened?" Tails asked with concern.

Sonic suddenly was flooded with memories of what had happened. "Amy!" He jumped up and then immediately collapsed. His body ached and he felt so weak.

"Whoa there, buddy! You can't be jumping up like that. You need to rest." Tails gently urged Sonic back onto the couch.

"Eggman." Sonic started. "Eggman created that serum as a way to control minds! It has microscopic chips in it that have gotten to Amy's brain so that he can control her!"

"But why would he want to control her?" Tails wondered.

"He didn't. He intended to use it on me! But Amy…she…she stopped it." Sonic began to tear up. "Now he's using her to attack me. That stuff has given her unimaginable power and speed, too! I couldn't attack her Tails. How could I even think about it?" Tears started falling down his face as he remembered the events of the fight.

Tails was surprised at how emotional Sonic was getting. This was the most upset he'd seen the hedgehog in all of their years of being friends. "Well, let's go find Eggman, then, and get rid of him for good! Once we do that, he won't be able to control her anymore!" Tails tried to encourage his friend.

"I can't." Sonic whispered.

"Sonic?" Tails didn't understand. This wasn't like his friend.

"I can't do it Tails!" Sonic's voice was full of sadness. "Eggman is using her like a shield. There's no way to get to him unless you go through her first. And there's no way I'm going to hurt her!"

Tails sighed. "Well, I guess I can try to figure out a way to undo whatever Eggman has done to her, but that could take me days or weeks before I come up with something."

Sonic clenched his fists. "But she doesn't have much time. Eggman also mentioned that the serum was going to destroy Amy's identity and replace it with one that can learn and evolve. She'll be lost forever!" Sonic stood up again, this time a little more prepared for the pain that his body was feeling.

"Where are you going Sonic?"

"I need to go for a run."

"No you don't!" Tails scolded him. "Listen Sonic, running isn't going to solve anything and it certainly won't help the condition your body is in right now. Besides, if Eggman notices you in this condition he might try to take advantage of that and send Amy out after you. Then you'd have no choice but to fight her!"

"You don't get it, do you? I can't fight her! I _won't _fight her!"

"Then what are you going to do if you have to go up against her?"

"I don't know!" Sonic yelled causing Tails to take a step back in surprise. "I don't know what to do anymore." He said a little more calmly. "I've never dealt with anything like this before." He sat back down on the couch and dropped his head in his hands. "What if we can't get her back? Or what if something bad happens to her?" His voice dropped down to a whisper. "What if I never get to tell her how much she really means to me?"

Tails put a reassuring hand on Sonic's shoulder. "You can't think like that Sonic. Right now Amy needs you more than ever to be her hero. She needs you to stay strong. Don't worry. I have full confidence that we'll be able to get her back unharmed."

Sonic looked up at Tails and Tails gave him a thumbs up. "You're right Tails. Amy needs me and I'm not gonna let her down." He gave Tails a half-smile. "Thanks for the pep-talk."

"No problem! Now, lie back down and get some rest! I'll get started on a way to bring Amy back safely! Don't worry, Sonic, I won't let either of you down!"

Sonic did what he was told and laid back down. Once Tails was out of the room he allowed his eyes to close. Before he drifted to sleep he made one solemn vow. _I promise, Amy, I won't run this time. I won't let you down. I promise to stay strong for you. I'll save you no matter what it takes._

_- - - - - - - - _

Dr. Robotnik paced back and forth in front of his new servant. "Next time there better not be any question in your mind on who to follow or else there will be consequences! Do you understand?!"

"Yes master." Her normally sweet voice replied very lifelessly.

"Good." Robotnik stated. "Now I want you to stay here until I tell you otherwise, are we clear?"

"Yes."

Robotnik just grunted as he turned and left the room. Amy narrowed her eyes as she watched him walk away. "I don't think I'll be taking orders for long…Doctor." An evil smile spread across her face.

- - - - - - - -

_Sonic stared off at the horizon on the beach. It seemed so peaceful right now as the sun was beginning to set. He smiled. _If only Amy were here to enjoy this, _he thought to himself. Then, as if someone had answered his secret thought, he heard her voice call out to him._

"_Sonic."_

_His attention quickly went from the view of the ocean to the beautiful pink hedgehog standing near the same rock he had found her at the previous night._

"_Amy!" He cried happily as he raced over to envelope her in a hug._

"_Don't!" She cried stopping him in his tracks. "Don't come near me Sonic." Her eyes filled with tears._

"_Why not?" He asked, a little hurt at the sudden demand. "I've really missed you Amy! I was so worried that Robotnik had you for good!"_

_She smiled sadly at him. "Sonic, I'm here right now because I need you to do something."_

"_Sure! Anything! Just name it."_

_She shook her head slowly at his enthusiasm. "This isn't going to be easy for you Sonic. But you made me a promise, remember? You promised me that you would stay strong."_

_He didn't know what she was getting at and he couldn't remember promising to her that he would stay strong…except for just before he had fallen asleep. But it was impossible she would have known that. "I'm not sure I'm following you Amy."_

"_Sonic," she sighed. "Whatever Eggman did to me is taking over my body and is trying to get rid of me. It's taken so much of my own energy to even be here with you right now. But I had to see you. I had to tell you!"_

_Suddenly Sonic got angry. No one was allowed to hurt Amy! "Tell me what I need to do to save you!"_

"_This isn't about saving me, anymore. Everyone is in danger! If this thing manages to reach its full power it will destroy everything!" She explained._

"_What are you saying?" He still wasn't sure he understood what exactly she wanted._

"_You have to kill me." She whispered._

_Sonic stared at her in disbelief. "Amy, there's no way!"_

"_You don't have a choice, Sonic!"_

"_Yes we do!" He cried out. "Tails is working on a way to save you! He's going to find a way to undo what Eggman has done!"_

"_There isn't enough time! Whatever Eggman put into my body is learning. It's attempting to become stronger and it's succeeding! It's almost to the point where it's beyond his control! I'm trying my hardest to fight it off but I can't hold out much longer. Pretty soon, I won't exist!" Sonic gritted his teeth in anger. "This thing is more powerful than you realize. If you let it continue not even you'll be able to stop it! And…" She turned her face away. "I don't want to be the cause of it all. I don't want to hurt anyone."_

"_You won't!" He argued while clenching his fists. "I'm not giving up on you! I won't hurt you! There's got to be another way!"_

_She smiled sympathetically at him. "Believe me Sonic, I wish there was." She reasoned with him. "But our friends are in danger…you're in danger. And if I have to sacrifice my life in order to save all of you then I'll do it! But don't worry…" Her voice became quiet. "I'll still love you no matter what…" Suddenly she collapsed on her hands and knees to the floor, letting out a small cry of pain. _

"_Amy!!" Sonic cried out. He tried to run to her but he couldn't move. _

"_You have to hurry, Sonic." Her body was shaking. "There isn't much time." She closed her eyes as tears started to streak down her face. "All I ever wanted was to live happily with you…" She lifted her head to look at him. "But you'll always be in my heart, Sonic." She smiled encouragingly at him trying to mask her pain. "Now… it's time to say goodbye."_

"_No!" He begged. "Don't say goodbye yet, Amy! We'll figure something out!"_

"_Please, stay strong Sonic." She pleaded one last time. "And please…wake up."_

_Sonic was confused at the last part until he felt himself being pulled away from her. "No!" He struggled to run to her but he still couldn't manage to get his feet moving. "Amy!!" He cried out. There was so much more that needed to be said. He wanted to tell her how much she meant to him and how much he had always really cared. He started to shout out to her one last time. "I lo-"_

Sonic darted up breathing heavy and sweating. He looked around and realized he was still lying on Tails' couch. It had been a dream. A horrifying dream. Sonic got up and went to find Tails, hoping that he would just forget what he had seen, but the words rang through his mind as if she were right there telling him again and again.

_You have to kill me._


	3. Chapter 3

AN: FINALLY! I know, I know. It has been WAAAAYY too long since I posted up this story. But here I am, putting up the next chapter! This goes to show you that you should NOT start another story in the middle of one story…especially if you don't have time to finish either story! But what's done is done. I can't go back and tell myself that. I just have to learn from my mistakes. Well, I suppose I should let you guys get to reading. But I will warn you that I'm very sick right now and I've been on a lot of drugs to relieve my symptoms. So if things don't make sense or I've completely messed up, I'm sorry! You'll have to excuse me this once. Oh, and I'll hopefully be posting up a new chapter for my other story very soon so stay tuned for that one! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Sonic and co.

- - - - - - - -

Tails looked up and smiled as his friend entered the room. "Hey! You're up early! Feeling any better?"

Sonic shrugged. "I guess so. I still feel achy but I'll live." He trudged over to a nearby window and sat along the sill. His attention drifted up to the sky, noticing how pink it was becoming from the rising sun. He closed his eyes and imagined being by her side, watching the sun rise up in all of its glory. He pictured her looking absolutely beautiful as the sun's golden rays played off of her pink fur. He could see her eyes sparkling back at him and it made him smile. But something wasn't quite right. _Her eyes,_ he thought,_ they look sad. _

"You doing ok?" Sonic's eye snapped open at the sound of Tails' voice. His face was full of concern.

"Yeah, I just didn't sleep well, is all." He looked back out the window. "Have you figured out anything about that serum?"

Tails sighed in frustration. "I'm sorry Sonic. I'm trying, I really am! But this stuff is just impossible to figure out!"

Sonic looked back at his friend, feeling a pang of disappointment. "What do you mean? You're going to be able to find a cure, right?"

"I don't know!" The fox admitted. "It's like every time I think I'm getting close it changes!"

Sonic frowned. He definitely didn't like the sound of that. "So, what does that mean for Amy?" Tails turned away, trying to avoid answering. "Tails!"

Slowly, Tails turned around and raised his apologetic eyes to Sonic. "Sonic, I'm not giving up. But the energy radiating from the serum is increasing by the minute. It's almost like it has a mind of its own. At this rate, Amy's mind doesn't stand a chance."

Sonic's eyes widened as he recalled his dream the previous night. The words she had spoken to him, those words that he had tried to label as just a horrible nightmare, were starting to become reality. _Whatever Eggman put into my body is learning. It's attempting to become stronger and it's succeeding...Pretty soon, I won't exist!_ He brought his hand to his forehead as her request rang in his ears again. _You have to kill me._ Maybe it was just a coincidence? His mouth felt dry as he managed to ask the one question on his mind. "How long do you think she has?"

Tails took in a deep breath before he was able to answer. "I'd only give her a few more hours before it's too late."

Sonic didn't need to hear anymore. "I won't let that happen." He began to walk out of the room before Tails stepped in front of him to block his path.

"What do you think you're doing? You can't just go after her! You've got to have a plan! Don't you remember how badly she beat you? You haven't even recovered from that!"

"That takes time!" Sonic snapped. "Time isn't exactly a luxury we have right now! Amy's out there fighting for her life! I have to do something!"

"So what? You're just going to go marching in there? Then what? What happens when she attacks you? You definitely can't save her if she pummels you again!" He looked defiantly up at Sonic.

"I don't know, Tails! But what I do know is that I can't waste time sitting around here waiting to come up with a plan and allow Amy's life to keep slipping away!" He was silent for a second and then he spoke up again in a more normal tone. "Tails, I'd never be able to forgive myself if I wasn't able to save her in time. I've got to go out there. I don't know how I'll save her but I've got to try." He hung his head low, feeling very useless.

There was a moment of quiet tension before Tails finally spoke up. "I'm coming with you." Sonic looked up at him, surprised that he had given in. He was about to protest when the fox cut him off. "Don't even try to argue with me! You're my best friend! You think I'm gonna let you go into the lion's den all by yourself? Think again, buddy. Besides, we'll have a better chance of saving Amy if we work together."

Sonic smiled, grateful that he had such a trustworthy friend. "All right. But promise me that you'll be careful? I don't think I could handle having any more lives at stake. Especially yours!"

Tails nodded and winked. "No problem! Now, let's go get Amy back!" He turned and started heading out the room. "We'll take the X-tornado!" Sonic smiled and followed Tails out to the hanger.

- - - - - - - -

Amy smirked when she noticed the frustrated look of her so-called master. "Good morning Doctor." She smiled as she approached him.

"Amy! What are you doing here?! I told you to wait for my next orders!" He began to type furiously into his computer system mumbling something about the connection to the chips in her brain.

She shook her head. "It's useless doctor. I've surpassed your ability to control me." Her smile widened when she saw the look of shock on his face.

"Impossible! I created that serum myself! I know what it's capable of!"

"Obviously not." She pulled out her hammer, ready to demonstrate her point.

Eggman looked at her in suspicion. "Stop this! I command it!"

Her eyes flashed brighter. "You no longer have the right to call the shots around here. With the power I possess I will destroy you and take over this miserable little planet! I won't stop until I rule this entire universe!" She laughed triumphantly as she began to destroy everything that stood in her way.

- - - - - - - -

As they took off, Sonic noticed a cloud of smoke rising into the sky. "What could that be from?"

"I don't know, but it's definitely coming from the direction of Eggman's base." Tails noted.

"Something's not right." Sonic muttered. "Step on it Tails!"

"Right!" Tails nodded as he kicked up the speed of the X-tornado. As they got closer there was no denying that the smoke was, in fact, coming from Eggman's base. Both Sonic and Tails were silent as they circled what was now left of their enemy's lair.

Finally Tails broke the tension. "What do you think happened here?"

The question slipped through Sonic's ears as he quickly jumped out of his seat and opened up the top of the X-tornado. "I'm going in after Amy! Find a safe place to land and then come and find me!" He was about to step out onto the wing when Tails stopped him.

"Wait! Take this!" He reached out and handed Sonic a wrist communicator. "That way we can stay in contact!"

Sonic slipped the communicator on his wrist and then gave his friend an encouraging thumbs up. "See ya down there!"

As Sonic turned away Tails called out to him again. "Sonic! Be careful!" He hated allowing Sonic to go on his own, especially when the situation was as dangerous as it was now, but he knew that there was no way Sonic would wait any longer. Patience had never been his thing, particularly when someone's life was in danger. He saw Sonic turn back and flash him a confident smile before he leaped off of the plane. Tails watched in worry as Sonic disappeared into the thick smoke.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Tails murmured. After a moments pause he shook his head. _Now is not the time to be worried! Sonic and Amy need me to be strong and I won't let them down!_ With a new determination Tails whipped the X-tornado around and began scanning the ground for a safe place to land.

- - - - - - - -

Sonic stared in awe as he took in the sights before him. It hadn't taken him long to make his way into the heart of the base but he was surprised at what greeted him when he got there. Obviously something or someone had destroyed everything in its path. The windows were busted in and walls had crumbled to the ground. All of Eggman's computers had been smashed into pieces and there were huge scraps of metal strewn about the floor. He walked further into the room, noticing the huge craters that were all over the floor. Seeing these left no doubt in his mind about who the culprit was. _Amy. How could you cause such devastation?_

His gaze drifted to the far corner of the room and became fixed on something he hadn't expected to see. The eggmobile lay there, mangled and slightly smoking. He needed to find Amy, and fast, before she was able to wreak any more havoc. "Amy! Where are you?" He called out, hoping to coax her out from hiding.

"Sonic-" a weak voice called out to him. He recognized that voice and it made his blood boil. "Help me." His ears narrowed down the location. It was coming from behind the eggmobile. He dashed over to the heap of metal and with all the strength he had in him he managed to pull the metal craft off of its victim. Sonic's jaw dropped at the sight. Eggman was lying on his stomach, barely conscious and badly beaten.

"Eggman!" Sonic kneeled down next to him and rolled him over. "What happened here? Where's Amy?!"

Eggman's eyes went wide at the mention of her name. "I had no idea it would be this way. I didn't know that the serum would be able to gain that much power!" He rambled. "It was never my intention to create a monster!"

Sonic shook Eggman to try and get him to come back to his senses. "A monster? What are you talking about?" But deep down he already knew the answer to his question.

"She's gone mad! I don't know how it happened. One minute she was following my orders and the next thing I knew she was destroying everything. I couldn't stop her!"

Sonic was silent, trying to think of what to do next. "Do you have something to undo the effects of the serum?" He asked, still deep in thought.

"No."

Sonic closed his eyes tightly and clenched his fist, trying his hardest not to pummel the helpless man in front of him. "Then what can we do to stop her and change her back?" He asked through gritted teeth.

"There's nothing we can do to stop her now. I don't think she'll ever be able to return to normal."

Sonic stood in defiance. "You're wrong!" He cried out, the anger getting the best of him now. He turned away, preparing to leave Eggman to his fate.

Eggman reached out for him in panic. "Where are you going?"

Sonic looked back at him, a slight trace of hatred flashing in his eyes. "I'm going to save Amy."

"What about me?" Eggman cried in protest.

"I should leave you hear to die!" He yelled. "Everything that's happening is your fault!" The terror and guilt in Eggman's eyes caused Sonic to stop yelling. For some unexplainable reason Sonic couldn't help but take pity on him. He turned back to face his enemy and hovered over him. "If anything happens to Amy I won't forgive you." And without another word, he reached out his hand to help Eggman to his feet.

Once he had helped Eggman out of the room his communicator went off. "Sonic! Come in Sonic!" He could hear the voice of his best friend coming from the other side.

"Hey buddy!"

"Sonic, I just entered the base. Where are you?"

Sonic gave a weary look at the man with him before responding. "I just left the main control room with Eggman."

"Eggman?!" Tails cried out nervously.

"Yeah. It's a long story that I can explain later. Right now we need to focus. Amy is nowhere to be found so we have to keep a lookout for her. Why don't you stay where you are and we'll come meet up with you." There was no response. "Tails?" Sonic tapped on the communicator to make sure that it was still working. "Tails, is everything ok?"

His friend's shaky voice finally responded. "Uh, Sonic? I just found Amy."

Sonic went noticeably pale at his words and he suppressed the feeling of dread. _Now is not the time to panic._ "Hang tight, Tails! I'm on my way!" Sonic gave one more look in Eggman's direction before taking off.

- - - - - - - -

Tails took another step back when his foot hit the wall. He looked behind him and realized that he had no where left to go. She had him cornered. _Sonic, please hurry!_ "Amy! You have to remember me! I'm your friend! I want to help you!"

Evil was gleaming in her eyes. "Help me?" She chuckled at the thought. "I'm the strongest person in the world. I don't need help." He braced himself as he saw her pulling back her hammer, ready to swing. "Don't worry _friend_. I'm not going to kill you…yet." Tails screamed as her swing made its way into his body, slamming him across the hallway and knocking him unconscious.

Amy walked over to his limp body and smiled. Leaning over she yanked off the communicator from his wrist and tossed it to the ground. Then, without any effort, she lifted up the fox and threw him over her shoulder. She walked back to the doors that would lead outside and paused before exiting. She looked back over her shoulder and grinned. "Come and get me, hedgehog. Your friend's life depends on it." She walked out into the early morning and made her way into the nearby forest.

- - - - - - - -

"Tails!" Sonic called out, running as fast as he could towards the entrance. But when he got to the doors there was no sign of Tails or Amy. He cupped his hand around his mouth and called out again. "Tails! Where are you?" No one answered. _Was I too late?_ It was then that Sonic noticed something out of the corner of his eye. His heart sank as he walked over towards the discarded communicator.

Reaching down he picked up the communicator and stared at it in disbelief. "Oh no, Tails." He whispered, understanding what had happened. His hands fell to his side and he stood there in a state of shock. "What am I supposed to do now?"

Every emotion that Sonic was feeling welled up inside of him. He cried out in frustration and anger as he pounded his fist into the nearby wall and then dropped to his knees. His eyes were wide as he thought about what he had to do. "In order to save Tails I've got to defeat Amy." Images from his dream came floating into his mind and he shut his eyes tightly to rid them of the sight of her beautiful, but sad, face. He sighed. "No. I can't hurt her. But if I don't then Tails-" He couldn't abandon his best friend either. _How am I supposed to choose between them? Either way I'm going to lose!_

He stood and walked outside. The morning was bright and sunny and he could hear birds singing happily as if there were no cares in the world. He was silent in thought. _I'm tired of being the hero. For once, I want someone else to do the saving. _He looked at the ground and saw a set of footprints heading straight for the forest. He knew who they belonged to and he knew he should follow them. But his feet were begging him not to go. They just wanted him to run. It was his right, after all, wasn't it? Hadn't he saved the world enough times?

Sonic shook his head. He knew that he would never be able to do that. As much as he didn't want to be caught in this situation, there were people he cared about relying on him. They trusted him to do what was right. He looked ahead of him, understanding what needed to be done. But his heart was heavy and he wasn't sure he'd be able to do what was right. "Amy. Please be with me." He whispered.

The trees began to blow gently as a breeze past by and his ears perked up at the sound of a whispered voice. "Please Sonic, be strong!"

"Amy?" He looked around but found no one there.

"Don't give up, Sonic. Tails need you. _I_ need you." His heart suddenly felt warm. "I promise, I'll always be with you."

Sonic lifted his hand to his chest. "I won't give up." He turned his gaze back to the forest. He wasn't sure what would happen next but he was determined to win. "Hold on Tails. I'm coming!" And then he took off in search of his friend.

- - - - - - - -

Amy floated along in the darkness of her mind. Although she was relaxed her heart was uneasy. Her eyes shot open as she suddenly felt like her heart was breaking. "Sonic." She called out, clasping her hands together in front of her chest. Her body felt weak and she could feel herself slipping away into the darkness. _No! _She thought in panic. _No! I'm not ready! _A tear slid down her cheek. _He still needs me._

"Please hurry, Sonic." She whispered. "I can't hold on much longer."


End file.
